ANC, DA join forces to suspend Tshwane city manager

City of Tshwane city manager Dr Moeketsi Mosola has been suspended following a highly-publicised story over the controversial GladAfrica’s tender.

Mosola’s suspension comes after the Tshwane city council approved a report recommending his suspension.

This is related to engineering consultancy‚ GladAfrica’s tender contract to manage the city’s entire infrastructure budget worth up to R12bn over a three-year period.

City of Tshwane council speaker Katlego Mathebe announced that the report had been approved by council on Wednesday.

The African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA) members adopted the report, while the Economic Freedom Fighters staged a walk-out after a heated debate.

This means that Mosola will be given a letter informing him of the council’s decision to suspend him with immediate effect.

He has seven days to write back to council and state reasons why he should not be suspended. If his reasons are rejected, the council will start a probe on why Mosola selected GladAfrica to be the sole manager of the city’s infrastructure project.

In his defence, Mosola spoke to POWER Perspective host Onkgopotse JJ Tabane last week where he insisted that he followed all protocols related to the appointment of GladAfrica last week.

“I can assure the people of Tshwane that I followed the relevant processes. The document was given to the police of my own volition. It’s important to make sure that these things are transparent.

“I have gone through the process of supply chain that complies with the constitution, the municipal management finance act and all other relevant prescripts when it comes to appointing GladAfrica. As far as I am concerned, the documents are out there now for people to see and verify the facts,” says Mosola.

However, Tshwane metro spokesperson Sam Mgobozi said that Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga could not ignore the allegations surrounding Mosola and the GladAfrica tender, hence his recommendation that he be suspended during the period of the probe.

“The mayor, as head of the city’s executive, is duty-bound to satisfy himself that any and all tender irregularity is addressed properly and in full.

“Council equally has a duty to satisfy itself of the same and to make recommendations accordingly,” said Mgobozi.